At Night's End

by Benham, Tara

  “We can all agree to that” Henry raised his doughnut as a toast. Each of us with food or drinks returned the toast action, ending the meeting. Today was another free day. Ever and I decided our day would be a movie day, and without speaking apparently agreed to have a pajama day as well. We invited Denver, Darcy, Sasha and Remi to join us. Normally we would have had the movie day in the living room, but decided that with all the movement from everyone in the house, we’d go to the basement and have the movie day. We grabbed popcorn and stole the last of the soda from the refrigerator before heading downstairs. We had two large couches down there that the six of us snuggled into. I remembered the last sleep over movie night and snorted. Ever looked over at me grinning, so she must have been having the same memory.

  “McCaid, Darcy, can you come upstairs please?” Ruthie peeked her head downstairs. “Sorry to disrupt, but Johnnie needs to speak to you. He asked me to come get you.”

  “Girls, we’ll be back.” Darcy and I headed upstairs.

  “Girls, your dad is asking to see you both.” Johnnie whispered, but he sounded serious about the severity of the situation. I noticed Darcy swallow and pale but nodded. I agreed to go too. We were all quiet as we headed to the guest house. I hadn’t been back to visit Dad since he came, and unless Darcy had changed her mind, she’s not seen him at all since he came back.

  It was dark in the guest house. Johnnie led us into the back bedroom. Dad was laying on the bed, under the blanket, with a rag on his head. He looked pale, tired and sickly. I stopped at the door frame. His health had rapidly declined in the last forty-eight hours. He could barely raise his head when he noticed we were at the door.

  “Come in please. Sorry you have to see me like this, but I wanted to see you before…”

  “Before what, Daddy?” Darcy choked on the words.

  “I have the virus sweetie, I’m dying. I came back to say goodbye. I didn’t say anything initially because I had hoped it wasn’t the virus, but I now know it is. Someone must have given the virus to me while I was at the CDC.”

  “But Daddy, we have the inhibitor, we can give it to you, we can heal you.” Darcy pleaded as ran up to the side of the bed, kneeling by his bed and taking ahold of his hands.

  “It’s too late, baby. I just wanted to apologize to the both of you and to get the chance to say goodbye. It’s not fair that you have to lose both of your parent so young. Remember your training it’ll lead you throughout your whole life. I may have done things for the wrong reasons, but I love you, and I trained you to be able to survive no matter what happened. Forgive me. I love you both like crazy.” Tears streamed down his face.

  “I forgive you, Daddy.” Darcy was sobbing. My heart was broken. My dad the man who trained me, loved me, made me laugh, looked at me like I was the most precious thing in the world was dying. Dying from a virus he created to help the government control population. I was conflicted. I still hadn’t moved into the room.

  “Do it or you’ll regret it later.” Johnnie whispered and nudged me into the room.

  I went over to the bedside and kneeled beside Darcy. I took his hand and the tears fell without my consent. “I forgive you, Dad.”

  With one last breath he sighed, smiled and then was gone. Just like that Darcy and I were orphans. Both of our parents were dead. I was lost for words. Darcy laid her head down on the bed beside Dad and continued to sob. I couldn’t bear her pain and tears. I jumped off, shoved passed Johnnie and ran out to the woods behind the guest house. I stopped and sat on the logs that were surrounding the bon fire area. It was ages ago that the four of us had sat here laughing, planning for a completely different future. I sobbed into my hands. It was cold, but I couldn’t face anyone right now.

  “Caidee.” Darcy came and sat beside me some time later. “What are we going to do?”

  “Normally we’d call the funeral home and have a burial plan, then a lawyer to read his will, but I don’t know any more Darce.”

  “No, I mean with us.” I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer to me. So much was happening in such a short amount of time. I rocked her and tried to soothe her.

  “We’ll be fine. I own all the property and we will stay here. We’ll be safe. Everyone else will stay here, we stay with the plan. As for the other stuff, we’ll have Johnnie and Micah help us bury Dad in the woods, we’ll use a rock marker until we can get something more permanent okay?” She nodded still holding onto me tightly.

  Neither of us wanted to go back in, so we stayed outside. Eventually Ever and Denver joined us, then Micah, Henry and Milo. Johnnie must have told each of them individually. Micah had brought some firewood and matches and started up the bonfire. We sat in silence for a long time, just enjoying the quiet company of our friends. Milo’s stomach growled very loudly about twenty minutes later. It was so loud it made Darcy snicker, which caused Milo to laugh, and it was just a downhill spiral. Soon we were all laughing until we couldn’t breathe. When one of us would calm down, then next would get tickled again, and it would start all over. Finally we had settled back down, when Ever asked if we wanted to talk about it.

  “All we really need to do now is find a place to bury him, and a rock big enough to use a marker until something more permanent can be made.”

  “First thing in the morning then.” Ever said with definite authority.

  “We will dig the site tonight.” Henry said and pointed between himself, Milo and Micah. The tears felt hot in the corner of my eyes again, but I managed to hold them at bay.

  “Thank you guys. You are all my best friends in the whole world. I appreciate all you have all been doing since all this started.” They all nodded, but didn’t respond. I think they knew that both I and Darcy knew how they felt about us as well. I stood up to head back to the main house, when Ever came to walk beside me. She intertwined her arms with me, and put her head onto my shoulder.

  “How are you really doing, McCaid?”

  “I am in shock I think.”

  “Still want to do a movie night?”

  “No, I think I’m going to go upstairs, shower and go to bed early.”

  “I won’t let anyone interrupt you then.”

  After taking a long hot shower, I decided that sleeping wasn’t really what I needed so I decided to head down to the gym and do some kick boxing to help with letting out the built up energy and emotions I was feeling. I thankfully didn’t pass anyone on my way down to the gym, I wasn’t in the mood for speaking. When I got to the gym though Baxlie was down there using one the bags as a target. He waved, but didn’t seem too concerned with talking, so I went to a different bag, put in my ear buds, cranked up the music and started a circuit of kick boxing and regular boxing. Sweat was starting to fall when a water bottle was pushed into my face. I took my ear buds out, wiped my face, and took the bottle.

  “Thank you Bax.” I was breathing heavy, the break felt great and the water was refreshing.

  “Want to talk about it Caidee?”

  “Not really. Want to talk about why you’re down here?”

  “I wasn’t asked to come down to your bonfire. I know I’m being silly but I thought for sure I would have been invited especially since I grew up with him. Micah had told me he passed, after the matter. I would like to at least be able to attend the burial if that’s okay with you.” I could tell that the work out hadn’t done much to decrease his emotions.

  “Baxlie, I’m sorry. You should have come. I would have liked that. I really would have, I didn’t know who said who could come and who couldn’t. I would really appreciate you being there in the morning at the funeral.”

  “Are you working out because of him Caidee?” His eyes had sympathy and emotion. We haven’t heard anything from his parents in a while, none of us wanted to speculate as to why, so we avoided it on a general consensus.

  “Partially, and partially because I’m angry at him. Angry that he could do this at all, to us, and then just come back as he was dying. It’s not fair. I mean I ye
lled him when he first came back. I yelled at my Dad. Do you get that? I’m sorry to be letting this all out on you. I thought the exercise would help, but it just brought everything up to the surface. I’m mad. You get it right? I’m eighteen. I had a whole life in front of me and he took it from me. From Darcy, and now he’s dead. He’s dead.” A full body sob came with the words. “He’s dead.” I dropped to the mat and the flood of tears seemed to be endless. Baxlie came and sat down beside me. He didn’t touch me, or say anything. It helped just having him sit there.

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  “Just stay here like you are.”

  We stayed on the floor for another couple of minutes before getting back up and starting our workout without saying anything else. I let three more songs play through before calling it quits. I was nice and tired and needed another shower. It was still early evening when I waved bye to Baxlie who was still working out, and headed back to my room to shower. Grabbing sweat and a tank to put on afterwards. Downstairs everyone was doing their own things. Sitting on the couch watching movies, chilling in the kitchen munching on snacks, I had multiple options, none really catching my eyes, until I saw Remi ad Sasha outside. I went out and asked them if they wanted to join me for a walk to the well. They both agreed excitedly. They skipped, chatted, asked questions and giggled on the walk.

  “McCaid? What will happen after the cure is handed out? Where will me and my momma go?”

  “I don’t really know Remi. Back home to your house maybe? I guess that’s something you all will discuss after we get back from the trip.”

  “Where is Sasha going to go?”

  “Sasha will stay here with her brother Henry and the rest of us that live here.”

  “Could me and momma live here too?”

  “You’d have to ask her that I guess.” She just nodded and went back to talking about the flowers that would be blooming soon. How it would be exciting to see the baby animals. I listened to their chatter without much thought. We got the well and they stopped speaking. I had to come back to the present to see why they weren’t talking anymore. There by the well was Henry sitting on one of the rocks, carving a beautiful cross from one of the logs. He started at the sight of us.

  “It was going to be a surprise. I couldn’t bear the thought of Mr. Dobbins having a rock to be remembered by, so I thought I would make him a cross with his name. I know you all aren’t that religious, but I wanted to do this for you, and Darcy.”

  “Thank you.” I was speechless, but I hoped the sincerity in my voice was noticeable to him. Henry was so thoughtful. Sasha ran her hands over the cross and the intricate designs that he had put into the edges.

  “It’s beautiful Henry.”

  “Thank you Sasha.”

  “Girls, let’s leave Henry to his work, we need to get back to the house before Ruthie starts looking for Remi anyways.” They went back to skipping ahead of me, but I lagged behind long enough to give Henry a kiss on the cheek. He blushed. “I like that you still blush. Thank you for the cross, it truly means a lot. I was kind of heartbroken over the thought of using a rock too, but didn’t know what else.”

  “Anything for you Caidee.”

  “I could get used to you calling me that.”

  “I could get used to calling you that. I hope I get to for a long time.” My stomach flip flopped and I swallowed the lump in my throat, then grinned.

  “I better go catch up with the girls.”

  CHAPTER 30

  The funeral was somber affair, but with the cross Henry made, it was at least closer to real than it would have been. We had one day left before we tested Ruthie and Adam for the three day test, and two before we left on the mission to cure the citizens that the government deemed replaceable. My nerves were starting to get to me, I couldn’t eat, and I didn’t want to train. I wanted to sit on the couch and think. I told Johnnie I was running scenarios through my head, playing my own what if game, and technically I was, it just wasn’t the kind of scenarios he would have wanted. Dad’s will had been found, but also in the paper work showed that upon my eighteenth birthday the property and houses had become mine. Upon his death, if I was of age and Darcy wasn’t I became her legal guardian. I became the benefactor and owner of all his patents, Darcy and I split royalties from the shared ownerships of the designs and medications Dad had sold. Darcy received property Mom had apparently owned, the back 15 acres, and money as well. The scenarios were what would have happened if Mom hadn’t mentioned anything to Dad, what if he hadn’t been a part, and we weren’t trained? What if he hadn’t died? Throughout those I did also have some what if scenarios about putting the inhibitor into the water system. I was in the middle of a scenario with Ever getting injured when Johnnie interrupted.

  “McCaid, Ruthie just met with someone from her group at the gate. They brought news that the people are starting to get a little rowdy and that we need to move up the plan to tomorrow. I hope your game planning has motivated you.” Johnnie gave me a weary look like he wasn’t sure he believed me.

  “Okay, do we need to change plans any? Or security for the house? Or are we sticking to the same plans.”

  “For now, the same plans, Ruthie’s friend said that there is still only one soldier at the water plant. However, news that your dad passed has been spreading like wild fire, and the celebrations are what are causing the rowdiness I suppose. I’m sorry I know that’s not what you want or need to hear.”

  “No, it’s okay. I don’t know that I can blame them. I guess we need to let the rest of the group know that we’re moving up the plans. Can we test Adam and Ruthie now? I know it’s not three days, but it should show improvement right?”

  “Let’s ask Micah and Baxlie.”

  We got Ruthie and Adam and went down to the labs. After explaining the situation they agreed that checking them a day early would help. They also said they would have time get the mixture together. Atlas came in and suggested they test him again to get a 5 day measure as well. West and Atlas had been keeping a low profile lately. They had been hanging in their apartment coming up to join for meals and meeting but not for much else. I was sure it had to do with West’s affair with the David guy, but since nothing was brought up I could only speculate.

  “While you all are testing them, I’m going to go upstairs and let everyone know the change of plans.”

  I informed the remainder of the group of the change of plans. Ever jumped up into action, she called out a list of things that needed to be done, packs needed to be made for the group that would be leaving, shifts for security needed to be created for those staying. Darcy, Denver and Henry would be in charge of the home group. Staying with them would be West, Annabelle, Sasha, Remi and Milo. Going with our group would be me, Micah, Ever, Adam, Ruthie, Johnnie, Baxlie and Atlas.

  The home group would be guarding the house in case of invasion from the rowdy groups, while the group going to the water plant would be each carrying enough of the mixture in case someone got hurt the next person would have the inhibitors. We each had to carry guns, a days’ worth of water for ourselves, and flashlights. We would be going the same path we took to the pharmacy, but staying in the woods as much as possible. Once in view of the water plant, we would divide into four groups of two, each group taking a side. The groups were chosen as well. Ever and Micah would be one team, Baxlie and I would be a team, Adam and Atlas were a team, and Ruthie and Johnnie were a team. We decided to put teams together that had one fighter and one problem solver together. Due to the change, we would be leaving tomorrow early, to have time to stop and watch when necessary. We had plans to get to the water plant right at dark, when there was a change in guards and workers. The people changing would help as a disguise and distraction to help with sneaking into the plant to get the main pump. Baxlie had explained how that one pump would distribute the chemical makeup of the water to each of the remaining water filtration systems in the nations, which is how we would be able to get the inhibitor to every citizen
. Ruthie had furthered explained that it was almost automatic, so by the time the officials would notice the chemical change it would already have been distributed. We were banking that whatever system Ruthie’s group and groups like hers had for communicating would travel fast enough that the population would be prepared to get the water and drink it before it was changed back. Ruthie had assured us that their system would not only work, but would work efficiently.

  We got our packs made up, all except for the mixture and went back down to see how the blood tests and the mixtures were coming along. We updated them on the packs being prepared and the teams knowing what they needed to do to better improve our chances of success when leaving tomorrow. Micah stated that the initial blood results came back great, and that they had about 5 more mixtures to complete.

  “Atlas’ blood tests are remarkable for his five day follow up. No signs of the virus at all and his white blood count is down, meaning there is no illnesses remaining. Most doctors would consider him in perfect health.” Johnnie reported.

  We spend the rest of the day prepping for tomorrow, and hanging out as a group as much as possible. Darcy and Denver quizzed Ever and I in what if scenarios, and Baxlie helped me with visual imagery to work through the possibility of Ever getting injured or killed. Ever and I were not teamed up for a multitude of reasons, however I was fairly certain the main reason was so that I wouldn’t freeze up at the wrong time. Henry stayed close most of the day. I think he was nervous about me leaving tomorrow and him staying here with the group. By the end of the day, I was able to slip off and have him follow me. We went to Dad’s study. Before I could get the door closed, he had his arms wrapped around me holding me to him.

  “Henry” His name came out more as a sigh than an actual word.

  “McCaid, you have to promise you’ll come back to me tomorrow.”